Idea to Startup
A podcast for people working on startup ideas. It features 15-minute tactical episodes and occasional interviews with individuals who excelled in early-stage execution. The show has helped launch hundreds of startups worth hundreds of millions of dollars, providing building blocks for entrepreneurs. Listeners praise it as the best podcast for building businesses and a must-listen for first-time entrepreneurs.
Episodes
An Operating System to Help You Move Faster By Focusing On Less (feat. a monkey reciting Hamlet)
Today is part 2 of our series helping you build an internal operating system. We identify the four things you'll need to have happen for your startup to gain momentum, then we organize those into a system that'll help you move fast based on inertia.
Tacklebox
Monkeys and Shakespeare
101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think
Delta 4 Status Level Jump
00:25 - Internal Operating System
15 Min(ish) Skill: Script the Start and End (ITS Classic)
Today, we'll talk about one of the most effective methods to do hard things we've found at Tacklebox: Scripting the start and end.
Tacklebox
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Jr Jr - The Speed of Things
Thrust and Drag, Part 1: A System to Keep Momentum
Today we'll talk about thrust and drag, the components of momentum. Momentum is the lifeblood for startups, but most people leave it to chance. By focusing on the inputs of momentum - thrust and drag - you can build systems to ensure you keep moving forward. Gaps kill startups. This system removes them.
Byldd
Tacklebox
Song where Taylor Swift burns Jake Gyllenhall
A Framework to Make Sure You're Building Something Useful
Today, we'll talk through a framework that'll help you evaluate whether you're building something useful enough to anchor a business. Most startups fail because the thing they built doesn't make a big enough dent in their customers lives. We'll make sure you don't make this mistake with help from Habit Kangaroo, a startup Brian ran back in 2014, and a GMAT training program his friend ran that help
Running a Concierge MVP Live (feat. the four-step Concierge MVP framework) ITS Classic
Today, we'll run through a Concierge MVP example live on the pod. Brian chooses an idea specifically because someone wrote in and said it was "un-Concierageable," which isn't a word but is the reason this podcast exists.
We go through the four-part framework that'll help you build a Concierge MVP - The Three Components of Wild Success, Acquiring Customers, The Test, and Feedback Loops. And we get
Three Shortcuts to Actually Help You Get Started On Your Idea
Today, we talk through the Silk Sheet Problem - how to do something new and hard when your life is fairly... comfortable. We help a listener get started on their idea - an AI tutor's assistant - with three shortcuts to set their life up in a way that makes it easier to start a startup than to not. We talk through Just-In-Time Prep, Forcing Functions, and life design. This episode is meant to be a
Start a Startup in Ten Days with Four Questions (ITS super-classic)
Today we'll talk through how to test out and build a startup idea in ~10 days by answering four questions. We'll use an idea that's oddly popped up a bunch lately: Kitchen Organizer. We do this with a little help from a story about a poker player and my good friend, Penne Vodka Pete.Join Tacklebox (CODE WINTER2025)Wix
Giving Your Startup an Identity
Today, we’re talking about startup identity—why you need one, and how it makes every decision you face way easier. We’ll talk swimming and nervous systems, walk through the Decision Equation, and help our good friend Carl figure out which customer to start with for his AI tool that helps adults learn Spanish. Then we’ll wrap with a simple framework to help you clearly define your startup’s identit
How to Get Your First Customers (The Trust to Risk Ratio)
Today, we'll help you get your first customers. We'll do it by learning how to use the trust to risk ratio - a way to identify the big risks that are holding your customer back and shoulder those risks early on to build trust. We talk through risk and trust with Find Your Lobster, Soona, and a finicky water pump. TackleboxSoona
The One Thing That Matters - How to Find a Differentiator That'll Support Your Business (ITS Classic)
Today, we'll help you find a differentiator powerful enough that it can support your business. We'll talk through what a differentiator actually allows you to do, five prompts to help you uncover and test one for your business, and Brian's favorite current differentiator - Popup Bagels. TackleboxPopup Bagels 00:00 Tacklebox00:33 Differentiator intro04:00 What do you hire a differentiator to do?05:
How to Identify and Kill Bad Startup Ideas Masquerading As Good Ones (ITS Classic)
Today, we'll lay out a framework to help you identify and kill bad ideas. It's hard to objectively evaluate your idea early on - this framework helps you rise above your idea to do it effectively. A side-effect is that the framework will help you find and pursue the good ideas.We talk through 1) Finding and Evaluating the Real Risk, 2) Predicting Organic Growth Potential, and 3) Predicting the Lik
The Three Pillars of Sales for Entrepreneurs Who Hate Sales (ITS Classic)
A 20(ish) minute skills episode on sales 101 for entrepreneurs who hate sales. We go through three tactics and a bunch of examples to help you build a system for sales that'll help you grow without making you feel slimy. We set up sales for a sabbaticals as a service startup. And we talk through why entrepreneurs hate sales and how to reframe the whole thing.Tacklebox (Code WINTER2025)Text Expande
Three Ways to Create Trust (ITS Classic - top 1%)
Today we'll talk about why people hand their keys over to random strangers on the street in New York City, how a person selling cures for baldness converts 80% of the people he speaks with, and how you can build a strategy to cultivate trust with your customers, too.Tacklebox (20% off with code WINTER2025)
The One-Inch Picture Frame
Today we talk about two methods to help make your big startup plans for 2026 manageable. We borrow Short Assignments and Shitty Drafts from Anne Lamott, we get a little help from Martin Scorsese and a Bronx Tale, and we talk through a startup that's helping 40 year olds deal with loneliness. All in like 14 minutes. Not bad. Tacklebox WINTER2025 for 20% offBird by BirdThe To Do List MonsterThe Sadd
How to Find Your Customers In-Person (Even If You're SURE You Can't)
Today, we'll talk through how you'll find customers in-person. This is the single most important acquisition tool for early-stage founders, and there's no excuse - any business targeting any customer can do it. We use a few Tacklebox examples and give you a framework to make it happen. Tacklebox CODE "HOLIDAY2025" for 50% off month one)Tacklebox Sunday EmailsTally (online form builder)Timestamps:
The Coffee Truck Idea I'd Start Tomorrow (Thanksgiving Mailbag)
Today, we're digging into the mailbag for your Thanksgiving commute. First, what idea would Brian start if he had to start an idea? We go deep on why a coffee truck idea is the best possible business for this moment. Next, we talk through how to get your spouse on board with your idea, and finally we hit on the best gifts for new entrepreneurs.Take that, Kyle. Tacklebox 50% off with code HOLIDAY20
How to Finally Get Your Ideas Into the World as a Right-Brain Founder
This episode is a toolkit for right-brain founders who get lost in ideas and struggle to execute. Brian shares three practical systems—AI as your left brain, the Regroup System, and the Ice Box—to help you make consistent progress, despite the whole right brain thing. This is a practical guide for turning creativity into momentum.Tacklebox (code HOLIDAY2025 for 50% off)The sailboat race I mentionT
How to Pick Your First Customer
Today, we'll help you pick your startup's first customer segment. This decision dooms a huge percentage of first time entrepreneurs - if you don't understand what the job of your first customer segment is, you'll likely pick a customer incapable of doing it. Your first customer has a unique responsibility that no other customer will have - you need to choose them carefully.Conversely, if you choos
How to Niche if You're Afraid of Niching
Today, we'll talk about the big question - should you start with a focused niche? There are pros and cons to the approach, but the perceived cons - "what if I get tired of the niche in a few years?" , "what if the niche doesn't lead to a bigger market?" , "isn't a niche just hiding from the bigger problem I want to solve?" have gotten louder lately. So, we'll address them. We'll go over what a goo
How to Find and Solve Hard Problems (feat. a used car salesman and The Problem Hunters) ITS classic
Hard problems are the only problems worth your time. Today, we'll talk about how to identify them and build a business around them. We'll dig in on decisions customers avoid and using those decisions to anchor early traction. We'll talk through Brian's favorite current business - a guy who buys used cars for you - and how to approach helping people with chronic pain. Also, I'm writing a book! Wan
Why You're Struggling with the Easy Stuff as a Founder
Today, we talk about why you struggle so much with easy, seemingly straightforward tasks as a founder. You probably assume this is a productivity problem, but it's actually a nervous system problem - you've maxed out your Risk Threshold. We talk about how to navigate that and build a startup while being a human. Also, I'm writing a book!HELP BRIAN WRITE A BOOKTacklebox 00:30 - Brian’s Writing a Bo
How to Engineer Luck (ITS classic)
Most founders hope to get lucky. But luck isn't random - it can (and has to be) engineered. Today we'll break down exactly what luck is and how you can reverse engineer it. We'll help you identify Luck Gatekeepers and build your Luck Budget. You'll never think about entrepreneurial luck the same way again.Tacklebox (code Holiday for 50% off month one)Graham WeaverTimestamps:00:30 How to get lucky0
An SOP for Testing a Startup Idea (ITS top 1%)
Today, we'll help you build an SOP for testing startup ideas. We'll use an example from a listener - a startup in the homeschooling space - as a guinea pig. The best way to have a great startup idea this time next year is to test out a bunch of ideas in the interim. This SOP will help you do it, and scale the process.Tacklebox00:00 Tacklebox00:30 Pros and Amateurs02:08 Homeschool Idea05:47 The Sto
Customers Speak Problem, But You’re Speaking Solution (ITS Top 1%)
Today, we'll talk about why so many entrepreneurs can't effectively explain what they're doing to their customers. The short answer is they speak the wrong language. Customers speak Problem, entrepreneurs speak Solution. It's like two people trying to have a conversation when one only speaks Latin and the other only speaks Dutch.We go through how to start speaking Problem, and show the power of Pr
How to Nail One-Sentence Marketing (ITS Classic)
Today’s episode is for everyone who struggles to summarize their startup in a sentence. We lay out a framework to do this well with help from a sticker on the street, a hedge fund, and a Vietnamese coffee shop.TackleboxIdea to Startup Newsletter00:33 One Sentence Marketing01:10 Train to NYC03:04 The best marketing Brian’s seen in a while06:42 Smooth Jazz07:28 Choosing a Customer and the Knowledge
How to Name Your Startup (a No Whisper Ideas pod)
Today, we'll teach you how to name your startup. This is from No Whisper Ideas, a post sent every Sunday by Brian. Customer Interviews Workshop (Starts Sep 15)No Whisper Ideas Weekly Post
How to Run Customer Interviews with AI (Part 1)
Today, we build a machine to help you actually run customer interviews.We’ll use AI to tackle the big blockers—accountability, CRM setup, outreach, transcription, and even how to pick your first customer. You’ll hear the idea Brian is testing with the interview machine, and we’ll walk through exactly how AI can make the process faster, more uncomfortable (in the right way), and a lot more effectiv
A Four Part System to Generate Ideas (aka how to let your brain be a brain) - ITS Classic
Today, we talk through a 4-part system to generate ideas - one that'll tap into your brain's natural ability to develop novel solutions rather than just waiting (hoping) inspiration will strike. We'll do it with a little help from a baseball training facility, a corked wine bottle, and an MRI startup. The Tacklebox Customer Interviews Workshop - Sept. Session is OPENIdea to Startup NewsletterFerme
How to Build a "Skeptical Startup" - $8k per month in 10 hours per week (ITS Classic)
Today, we'll help you tackle the big question for entrepreneurs with startup ideas and jobs - when's it time to quit the job and focus on the startup full-time? You should think about this question the second you start working on an idea, and you should use the Skeptical Startup framework - a goal of $8k per month in 10 hours per week - as a guide. The Skeptical Startup framework is magical, and B
Normal Brain vs. Entrepreneur Brain
Today, we talk about the difference between Entrepreneur Brain and Normal Brain. Normal Brain is out to sabotage your startup. We teach you Entrepreneur Brain to make sure that doesn't happen. Tacklebox 10-Day Customer Interview WorkshopAli Abdaal - The Good Student vs. The Good Entrepreneur Mindset (text, Ali's email signup)Graham Weaver - How to Design a Winnable GameDaina Trout EpisodeTimestamp
How to Get Two Months of Work Done in One Weekend
Today, we'll help you get two months of work done in a weekend. We break down a four-part sprint framework that is actually realistic and manageable for founders with full-time jobs and families or dogs or other responsibilities / dense, unpredictable lives. We also show how a sprint helped launch Habit Kangaroo, one of Brian's side projects, a few years back. The framework covers goal-setting, pr
A Startup Storytelling Framework for Non-Storytellers (top 1% classic)
Today, we'll help all the non-storytellers tell a compelling story about their business. We've got a framework that'll walk you through the ingredients of a compelling story, and a mise en place-inspired approach that'll help you get to story market fit. We've got some rules, some variables, some accelerants, and an example about a service that helps Airbnb hosts launch their own interior design b
How to Flounder Effectively
Most startup advice says you need to be "maniacally focused" on one thing. I disagree. You need to balance your focus with some good old fashioned floundering. This episode is about the balance - when to focus and when to flounder - and how to build each skill. We even built a framework to help you out - The Four Rules of Floundering. The Let's Actually Run Customer Interviews Workshop - a 10-day
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market - A Mouse Pod (encore)
One of the most-listened and shared episodes of 2024 - an episode that multiple people reached out months later to say "this single episode helped me launch my business." So, that's cool. It's on standing out in a crowded market, and it's on mice. Specifically, the guy who got rid of ours. There are four lessons, a framework, Customer Journey Mapping and the Feature Fold. TackleboxIdea to Startup
Stop Beating Yourself Up
Today, we'll help you stop beating yourself up so that you have the space to take the creative, strategic risks your startup needs to be successful. We'll go through the Eight Eccentricities of Startups - stuff you beat yourself up over but shouldn't - and three practices to help you navigate them. We also talk about baseball, goldfish, and Guy Raz. TackleboxStop Beating Yourself Up Post00:30 Stop
How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers (Encore)
Today, we've got a classic, much-listened to episode on getting your first 1,000 customers. We contrast the approaches of two pizza companies - Push for Pizza and Slice - and see how each company's early growth approach led to their bigger strategy. You also get a much less polished Brian on the mic. My grunge era. Enjoy! TackleboxSliceFirst 1000 SubstackTacklebox + Self-Serve Product
The Four Questions that Kill Bad Differentiators (feat. The Rabbi, The Coffee Founder, and The Poison Ivy Guy)
Most founders don't know what their differentiator is. That's a problem. Today, we walk through two paths to help you find a differentiator strong enough to anchor a business. We also help you root out bad differentiators - the ones that'll just waste your time. There's also a story about a Rabbi's wisdom, a founder making decaf coffee, and a poison ivy company I'm obsessed with. Tacklebox - start
The Vacuum Strategy - Letting Go to Move Forward (A No Whisper Ideas Post)
Vacuums are uncomfortable, but they're actually far less risky than the alternative. A No Whisper Ideas post on how to think about, approach, and create vacuums.Brought to you by Tacklebox.
Mailbag! Beating Idea FOMO, The Best Stories for Founders, and Simple Startup Math
Today, we're digging into the mailbag to answer some common questions. We hit on how to actually commit to a startup idea when you aren't confident it'll work (featuring the Discipline + Strategy Levers), the most frequent advice I give (feat. Monkeys and Pedestals and Sell the Position), and a question on the startup decision - should you do a thing that'll take 10 years? TackleboxGood Strategy B
Testing an Idea's Potential Using the ERP Rubric: FODMAPs
Today is Part 2 of the series introducing the ERP (Early Rep Potential) Rubric. The idea behind ERP is that the best idea for you is the one you can do "full rep" tests on the fastest. We help Erica evaluate the potential of her FODMAP idea, where she's looking to help people identify specific food sensitivities. We score the idea and get clarity on its potential. We also talk a little Jon Hamm.
A Startup Misogi (A No Whisper Ideas Post)
Today, we're trying something new. We send out the No Whisper Ideas newsletter every Sunday, and today, we posted it here. Maybe you'll like it. It's on Startup Misogis, a way to make a visible, memorable dent in your year. TackleboxNo Whisper IdeasThe North Fork CenturyThe RideMisogiJesse ItzlerProof That You Can Do Hard Things00:00 Intro - What This Is01: 34 A 100 Mile Bike RIde02:22 A Misogi Ch
How to Pick Which (Of Your Many) Ideas to Pursue
Got a notebook full of startup ideas but no clue which one to build first? In this week’s pen-and-paper episode, we walk through the ERP—Early Rep Potential—Rubric, our simple scoring system that shows you which idea you can run the fastest customer “reps” on. We’ll put Erica (a Tacklebox member juggling “easily twenty ideas”) to the test, scoring her two biggest concepts live. Want to follow alon
Giving Your Startup an Identity
Today, we’re talking about startup identity—why you need one, and how it makes every decision you face way easier. We’ll talk swimming and nervous systems, walk through the Decision Equation, and help our good friend Carl figure out which customer to start with for his AI tool that helps adults learn Spanish. Then we’ll wrap with a simple framework to help you clearly define your startup’s identit
Extreme Quality
We're Back! Today, we'll talk about Extreme Quality - the best way to create contrast for your startup and the antidote to the average stuff most people are pumping out. We’ll unpack the six key components of identifying a high-leverage customer moment, explore how the Car Guy built a wildly successful business by eliminating hassle, and explain how most founders are focusing on the wrong thing.
How I'd Start a Startup in 2025
Today, we'll talk about the four steps I'd take if I needed to start a startup in 2025. We'll also talk about idiots.We begin by embracing the reality that both founders and customers are irrational. Then, we build out steps and a process to address this. We start with a life audit, increase our Luck Surface Area, tackle the unit economics of working with one customer, and build out a system for a
Testing an Idea Live on the Pod, Part Two: AI for Parenting
Today is episode two of testing an idea (AI for Parenting) live on the pod. We use a second round of interviews to go deep on the actual problem we're solving for parents, pull inspiration from an AI tool in the dementia care space, and end up with a Wedge product that'll use voice notes to reduce the pain of handoffs. We also hit on one of my favorite tactics - The Pain Text. Hot Frosty is in the
A Live Idea Test: AI for Parenting
Today is day one of testing an idea live on the pod. We talk through how to turn a big, broad idea (AI for Parenting) into something actionable, the three questions every startup must answer, and how to balance curiosity with focus. Also, we talk about both my son and trees swaying to Bruno Mars. Tacklebox Granola 00:30 Intro - Testing a Startup Idea Live03:01 The Three Questions for Any Startup04
Thanksgiving Mailbag: Are all the good ideas taken? What should I do about AI? What single skill should I focus on?
A special Thanksgiving mailbag episode answering your biggest questions (plus a holiday deal for the dedicated listeners who aren't too busy with pumpkin pie). We tackle the one thing you should actually be doing with AI right now, why competition is often the best thing that could happen to your startup, and the single most important habit every founder needs to build. Plus, Derek Jeter makes a s
Three Ways to Approach Your Startup Like a Pro (Encore)
Today, we'll dig in on three approaches that separate how pros and amateurs build businesses. We'll talk through how pros leverage existing infrastructure, how they use anti-marketing to build trust with strangers, and how they don't leave luck and serendipity to chance - they orchestrate it. We'll do this with help from stories about Frank Sinatra, a comedian in an Uber, and a founder starting a
How to Engineer Luck
Most founders hope to get lucky. But luck isn't random - it can (and has to be) engineered. Today we'll break down exactly what luck is and how you can reverse engineer it. We'll help you identify Luck Gatekeepers and build your Luck Budget. You'll never think about entrepreneurial luck the same way again.PARTNER: XLR8 DevTacklebox (code Holiday for 50% off month one)Graham WeaverTimestamps:00:30
How to Productize Your Customer's First Step (Encore)
Today we'll dig in on productizing your customer's first step. This is the best path to building a product that generates revenue immediately so that you've got some runway and flexibility to build. We'll walk through a few examples, including a Family Operating System that came in at 3am last Thanksgiving from a listener. Tacklebox (50% off with code Holiday)Timestamps00:30 The Thanksgiving Start
A Thing That Always Works: The 5-Minute List
Today, we dive into the Always Work and Never Work Lists to pull out a method that's immeasurably useful for our founders: The 5-Minute List. A system that helps you turn scattered pockets of time into meaningful work - rebranding "Sand" tasks (from the Sand and Stones framework) to "Pebbles." We leverage AI to break intimidating projects down and minimize transition time to remove all friction.
Three Types of Problems Worth Your Time to Solve
Today we talk through the three types of problems that deserve a solution. We start off with a few higher level thoughts about problems and startups - specifically around achievement incentives and how some bad early decisions usually can't be salvaged by good decisions later on. Then we talk through Hole Problems, Teleporter Problems, and Status Level Jump Problems. Tacklebox Customer Interview W
Another Lesson at 40: Three Shortcuts for Getting Started
Today, we talk through the Silk Sheet Problem - how to do something new and hard when your life is fairly... comfortable. We help a listener get started on their idea - an AI tutor's assistant - with three shortcuts to set their life up in a way that makes it easier to start a startup than to not. We talk through Just-In-Time Prep, Forcing Functions, and life design. This episode is meant to be a
Writing Persuasive Copy That Tests Your Startup Idea
Today, we talk through how to write compelling copy. We go through a few counterintuitive archetypes you can use to dramatically increase the clarity of your messaging, which will allow you to increase your conversion rate and get more people involved earlier in the process. Copywriting is an idea-testing superpower. Tacklebox Workshops00:33 When Copy Becomes Important02:40 Why You’re a Bad Writer
A Lesson at 40: Happiness and Hard Things
Today, we're going to talk about one of the best things Brian has learned in 40 years of living. We'll talk through why embracing discomfort is crucial for personal growth and happiness, learn how to generate innovative ideas by adopting a "documentary approach" to life, and find out what Taco Bell has to do with prioritizing your day.Tacklebox WorkshopsThe Daniel Tiger SOPTimestamps00:30 Intro -
Are You a Freelancer or an Entrepreneur?
Today, we'll help you think through a deceptively tough question - are you a freelancer or an entrepreneur? Every decision you make needs to nest neatly below this core decision for your business to work, but tons of founders are either trying to do both simultaneously or think they're one when they're really the other.We clarify the difference between freelancer and entrepreneur, help you decide
The Exciting Part - Building a Product and The Test (Part 4 of Starting a Startup Live)
Today is the last episode in our four-part series helping a doctor test a business idea live on the pod. We follow as they execute their Concierge MVP - teaching productivity skills to fellow physicians. We dive into the process for building a product from scratch (with no code or experience), and talk through how to navigate the fears that'll naturally pop up. Finally, we help the doctor translat
Running a Concierge MVP (Part 3 of Starting a Startup Live On The Pod)
In part three of testing a startup idea live on the pod, we dive into the Concierge MVP - a crucial step in validating a startup idea by manually solving your customer's problem. We break down the four key ingredients of a Concierge MVP and follow our doctor friend as he builds one for his productivity idea, highlighting both the process and the fears that come with it.Episode 1 in the series: The
Starting a Startup Live On The Pod, Part 2
Today is Part 2 of starting a startup live on the pod. We focus on finding and engaging potential customers through Brute Force Customer Acquisition and dig in on value creation using the Delta 4 framework. The entrepreneur we're helping experiences an epiphany about what his doctor customers truly need, challenging his initial assumptions and forcing him to pivot his approach. TackleboxBylddIdea
Testing a Healthcare Startup Idea Live On The Pod, Part 1
Today, we'll start a startup live on the pod. A listener wrote in with an idea in the shifting healthcare space and we pursue it over the next few episodes. We start from square one, digging into what's actually valuable about the idea with the 90% Wrong Principle, using the Four Question framework to pull out assumptions, and finally judging the viability of early customers with the Committed vs.
How to Spot Promising Startup Ideas (feat. the Hard Startup Myth and the Hassle Premium)
Today we'll help you find and choose the right startup idea. We'll use a couple of frameworks to help you evaluate startup ideas you've got and find startup ideas other people miss. We talk through the Hard Startup Myth and The Hassle Premium, two mental models that'll make sure your next idea has legs. We'll also evaluate Tinder for Jobs and learn a lesson from the great Frank Prisinzano. BylddTa
How to Choose The Right Quest
Today, we'll talk through how to identify and pursue the big, consequential ideas - what we'll call Quests. We go through how to identify them, how to wrap our arms around them, and what to do when you (inevitably) feel intimidated. We'll do it with a little help from the 90 Yard Mistake, a ghost kitchen idea, and some chronic pain interviews. Quest (drink). TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea
How to Find Juicy Problems (ITS Classic)
Hard problems are the only problems worth your time, but they're not always easy to find. Today, we'll talk about how to root them out. We'll dig in on decisions customers avoid and how to use those decisions to anchor early traction. We'll also talk through one of Brian's favorite current businesses - a guy who buys used cars for you. BylddTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot0:2
The Daniel Tiger SOP - How to Regularly Do Hard Stuff
Today, we'll talk about my favorite item from the Always Work List from a few weeks back - the Daniel Tiger SOP. Entrepreneurship requires you to do uncomfortable stuff constantly. This gets overwhelming and leads to founders sticking with the well-worn, safe path. That leads to startups with no differentiator and no reason to exist.The Daniel Tiger SOP helps you turn intimidating tasks into manag
A System to Help You Become Wildly Creative
Today, we'll help you build a system for creativity. We'll start by defining creativity as an equation to make it more accessible. Then, we'll develop a system that focuses on the inputs of the creativity equation. We talk through the Commonplace Book, Commencement Speeches, a sports writer and the movie Sahara. Then, we get into the weeds on how to set up and implement your own personal creativit
How to Use One-Person Landing Page Tests to Find Your Differentiator (ITS Classic)
Today, we'll talk through a landing page system that'll help you find a great initial customer - one that can anchor your business. We'll talk through the circle framework, as well as the One Person Landing Page and the Emotion / Logistics / Urgency flow. This will help you identify the right customer to focus your product building efforts on. TackleboxOwl City - FirefliesDaniel PriestleyUnbounceS
How to Not Screw Up Pricing For Your Startup
Today, we talk about how to price your startup. We touch on the four places to find margin, the Taco Bell pricing strategy, and using price to attract customers. We talk through pricing an AI assistant, basketball lessons, honey, and pilates. After this pod, you'll (hopefully) think about pricing your startup completely differently. TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterThe Bear SceneToniesIdea to S
A Podcast Figuring Out Your Value (ITS Classic)
Today, we'll help you figure out how to find and position your startup idea's value. We'll talk through the Need/Gap/Swap framework, go through a few startups doing the value thing well and poorly, and we'll talk about a Magician on the Upper West Side.TackleboxHow to Make $1,000 TodayIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot 01:25 Intro02:32 Make as Much Money As You Can In One Week10:13 Smoo
How to Prioritize as an Idea-Stage Founder (ITS Classic)
A throwback to the 6th ever episode of Idea to Startup - an episode that’s been listened to thousands of times and has a consumption rate at nearly 100%. Entrepreneurs can do anything, but they can’t do everything. How do you prioritize early on? How do you differentiate? This episode presents a framework that’ll ensure you work on the things that give your startup its best chance at success.Tackl
Things That Always Work and Things That Never Work
Today, we dig into the Always Work and Never Work Lists - a method that'll help entrepreneurs make good decisions through the constant second guessing and self-doubt that a startup brings. We talk through examples from the lists and apply them to a moment Brian had to deal with recently. We get a little help from Goodfellas and Taylor Swift. TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotAn
How to Create Useful Content (for people who don't think they can create content)
Today, we'll talk about content. Two of the most asked questions we get are "should I create content?" and "if I should... what the heck should I say?" Creating content feels daunting until you realize the best way to create content is to not create content. We go through how to do that, leaning on a few examples and a content generating framework. We also crown the best burrito in NYC.TackleboxDo
A Mouse Pod (How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market)
One of my favorite episodes in a while. Today, we talk about how you can stand out in a crowded market by looking at an exceptionally successful exterminator. We'll pull out four lessons that make a framework to create contrast between your business and your competitors. We'll talk through Customer Journey Mapping, the Feature Fold, how to take yourself seriously through pricing and the things oth
A Weekly Prioritization and Audit Framework for Entrepreneurs (ITS Classic)
One of the most listened to episodes in ITS history with an average consumption rate well over 100%. Today, we go through a Weekly Prioritization and Audit Framework for entrepreneurs. We'll hit on three giant shifts you'll likely need to make - ditching a to do list and moving to your calendar, weekly progress reports, and environment design. We get a little help from our friends in Finland along
Running a Concierge MVP Live (feat. the four-step Concierge MVP framework)
Today, we'll run through a Concierge MVP example live on the pod. Brian chooses an idea specifically because someone wrote in and said it was "un-Concierageable," which isn't a word but is the reason this podcast exists.We go through the four-part framework that'll help you build a Concierge MVP - The Three Components of Wild Success, Acquiring Customers, The Test, and Feedback Loops. And we get a
How to Start the Business You’re Not Quite Ready to Start
Today we talk through a system to help you start the business you don't feel ready to start. We do this because that's the only type of business there is. You're never going to feel prepared so you can't let that fear paralyze you.We talk through the three main gaps that keep founders from starting - the Knowledge Gap, the Network Gap, and the Product Gap - and describe a method that'll help you n
How to Take Yourself Seriously feat. The Entrepreneurship Handbook (ITS Classic)
Most people's startup approach is haphazard. It's a combination of instincts and reactions and luck or happenstance. People who succeed are far more purposeful. Today, we'll help you take your idea and yourself seriously. We'll build your entrepreneurship handbook - the thing that'll let you make tough decisions at scale.TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterByldd"I'm a Neuroscientist, and these are
A Startup Storytelling Framework for Non-Storytellers
Today, we'll help all the non-storytellers tell a compelling story about their business. We've got a framework that'll walk you through the ingredients of a compelling story, and a mise en place-inspired approach that'll help you get to story market fit. We've got some rules, some variables, some accelerants, and an example about a service that helps Airbnb hosts launch their own interior design b
When to Pivot and When to Stick (aka what to do with all your startup ideas) ITS Classic
Today, we'll talk about one of the most common hurdles entrepreneurs run into - getting tempted by a new idea a few months into working on their main idea. We lay out a framework to identify the first principles of the new idea fast so you can decide if it's worth a pivot. We also dig in on why the urge to pivot shows up, procrastination, and how to win a baking contest. And, English Lords from th
How to Pick Your Startup's First Customer
Today, we'll help you pick your startup's first customer segment. This decision dooms a huge percentage of first time entrepreneurs - if you don't understand what the job of your first customer segment is, you'll likely pick a customer incapable of doing it. Your first customer has a unique responsibility that no other customer will have - you need to choose them carefully.Conversely, if you choos
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